Department of Strategy,

Enterprise & Sustainability

ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY
5S7V0025
ASSESSMENT NAME: STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF AN
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION
MODULE LEADER: Mark Crowder
([Link]@[Link]) 2024-2025

Dear students,

This document contains important information about the assessment in this module, from task an

WHAT IS THE ASSESSMENT?

This section contains a brief description of the task for the assessment, assessment weighting, word count and associated penalties.

You are required to undertake a critical strategic

analysis of an organisation and produce a written
report outlining your findings and an assessment of
their implications. Details of the organisation will
be provided during the course.
ASSESSMEN It is important that you relate relevant theoretical
frameworks to the empirical information (data) you
T TASK have gathered to analyse, and not merely describe
the organisation’s strategy. You should aim to
evaluate the viability of the organisation’s current
strategy and make any recommendations for
changes to the strategy that you consider to be
appropriate.
Please see assessment details further below.
ASSESSME 100% of module mark
NT
WEIGHTING

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Enterprise & Sustainability

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Enterprise & Sustainability

WORD/PAGE COUNT: 5,000 words +/- 10% (references and abstract not
included in word count)

Markers will not include any work after the

maximum word limit has been reached within the
allocation of marks.
WORD/PAGE Students may therefore be penalised for a failure
COUNT to be concise and for failing to conclude their work
PENALTIES within the word limit specified. Similarly, a failure
to meet a minimum word limit may result in lower
marks based on the quality of the work (e.g. not
including the necessary information required for the
assessment, not meeting the learning outcomes).

WHEN IS THE ASSESSMENT?

This section includes key submission instructions. Further detailed instructions are included in the next section.

SUBMISSION
ASSESSMENT WEEK (details on
DEADLINE
Moodle)
RETURN OF MARKS
4 WEEKS AFTER
& FEEDBACK
DEADLINE.

MODULE-SPECIFIC
N/A
SUBMISSION
GUIDANCE
The use of generative AI is permitted in this assessment,
so long as it is used in accordance with the instructions
GENERATIVE provided in the ‘Are you allowed to use AI in
AI assessments?’ section of the AI Literacy Rise Study Pack.
GUIDANCE All submitted work must be your own original content.

MOODLE Please submit your assignment by the submission

SUBMISSION deadline date. If you are having technical problems
GUIDANCE submitting your work, please

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reach out to IT. Alternatively, you can email your tutor and
send your assignment to the Contingency Submission
Form.

You can replace/amend your submission multiple times

up until the deadline time to check your similarity
score. The score will be displayed immediately. After 3
submissions, similarity scores will take 24 hours to
display.

ANONYMOUS N/A
MARKING

SUBMISSION Depending on your level of study, you will be offered

FEEDBACK feedback on your submission based on the marking
POLICY criteria (below).
ETHICAL Not applicable, apart from the need to adhere to
APPROVAL university guidelines in respect of plagiarism etc.
(ETHOS)
ASSESSME If you cannot submit your assessment by the deadline,
please follow the information HERE on how to apply for
NT
assessment mitigations.
MITIGATIONS
If you have a Personal Learning Plan in place, please
PERSONAL
contact your department’s Disability Coordinator to
LEARNING
arrange a discussion and agree on a possible deadline
PLANS
extension.
Information about the reassessment brief, submission
REASSESSMENT arrangements and reassessment support will be
provided on Moodle.

HOW TO PREPARE AND STRUCTURE YOUR SUBMISSION

This section includes the necessary information on how to approach the assessment.

You are required to undertake a critical strategic analysis of

ASSESSMENT
an organisation and produce a written report outlining your
DETAILS
findings and an assessment of their implications.

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Enterprise & Sustainability

Your submission MUST be focused on one of the organisations

specified in the list below – especially a key SBU (Strategic
Business Unit):
1) PEPSICO. Choose any SBU, for example:
a) Ǫuaker
b) Pepsi
c) Fritto-Lay
d) Starbucks Ready to Drink
2) VOLKSWAGEN GROUP. Choose any SBU, for example:
a) Ducati
b) Bentley
c) Sauber
d) Audi Sport
3) INDITEX. Choose any SBU, for example:
a) Zara
b) Pull & Bear
c) Stradivarius
d) Oysho
4) EASY GROUP. Choose any SBU, for example:
a) EasyJet
b) EasyMoney
c) EasyCruise
d) EasyRentACar

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There is no formal structure for this report – you should

structure this as you see fit, and you can draw upon any
suitable theoretical frameworks EXCEPT
 SWOT/TOWS
 PEST/PESTLE/SPECTACLES/LE PEST C/LoNGPEST and
other versions of these
 SAFe
It is not appropriate to use any of these models in your
assignment.

Good reports tend to include:

 Executive Summary (not included in word count).
 Contents page (not included in word count).
 Introduction, structure and corporate purpose
of whole organisation, and identify SBU.
 External analysis of the industry relating to an SBU.
 Internal analysis of the SBU.
 Internationalisation of the SBU.
 Strategic changes that impact the SBU.
 Strategic plan for the SBU, including evaluation,
conclusion, and recommendations.
 Reference list (not included in word count). Please
see below for further guidance.
 Appendices (not included in word count. Only include
if these are necessary).
The weightings for the different components of the assignment
are:
 External analysis 20%
 Internal analysis 20%
 Strategic plan 40%
 Rest of the assignment 20%

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Research and evidence gathering: Start by selecting an

organisation from the list you are provided with. Research the
organisation’s current strategy, looking at their mission, vision,
goals, and the tactics they use to achieve these. Consider their
stakeholders – who are the most important? Show how the
organisation is structured, and then select one of their SBUs,
then focus on this for the rest of your assignment.
When considering the external environment, you need to
focus on one of the SBUs, and explore the industry that this
part of the organisation operates in. Examine any recent
volatility in that environment, the speed of technological
change, and any further uncertainty and complexity the
organisation faces. Make sure you apply theoretical
frameworks correctly.
When considering the internal environment, you need to focus
on the same SBU that you examined for the external
HOW TO environment. Make sure you apply theoretical frameworks
PREPARE FOR correctly.
THE For the internationalisation section, again you need to focus on
ASSESSMENT the same SBU that you examined above. You will be taught
several models during the course, and you need to apply
whichever one best explains what is happening in your
organisation.
When considering strategic change, focus on the SBU that you
have been exploring. Use the theory you have been taught to
examine trends and patterns that impact the organisation. Can
you extrapolate and suggest likely continuations? What does
the organisation need to do?
For your strategic plan for the SBU, you might want to use
various tools to identify a range of alternatives and then select the
best of these.
Importantly, make sure you analyse your own work. What are
the implications of your analysis for the organisation? What
does the organisation need to do? Provide a roadmap for
implementing the proposed strategy, with justification for
prioritising certain areas and focusing on possible roadblocks and
how to mitigate them. We are look for your critical engagement
with the issues at hand rather than a descriptive list of

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recommendations.
THROUGHOUT YOUR ASSIGNMENT, REMEMBER:
 Underpin with relevant academic literature.
 Use the models, do not describe them.
 Be analytical, not descriptive.

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Show your knowledge of the relevant academic literature and

cite it throughout your assignment. Please see below for further
details.
GROUP WORK
N/A. This assignment is an individual piece of work.
GUIDELINES

Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to receive

FORMATIVE
formative feedback and feed-forward on your work and ideas.
FEEDBACK &
There are also assessment webinars that you are required to
FEED-
attend, and these are further opportunities to ask questions
FORWARD
and receive feedback.
References are the items you have read and specifically
referred to (or cited) in your assessment submission. Do not
include a list of everything you read in preparation for writing
your submission if you have not referred specifically. Attempt
to summarize in your own words another person’s work,
theories or ideas and then cite your sources.
Use quotes to show the difference between the actual
words of the writer and your own words, and always
REFERENCING acknowledge your sources in references. Using references
in reports and essays is the way to avoid accusations of
academic misconduct, specifically plagiarism.
All ManMet students required to use an author-date
referencing style are expected to use Cite Them Right
Harvard. This version of the author-date referencing style is
supported by Bloomsbury’s Cite Them Right website and
accompanying ebook.
The Cite Them Right website offers an online tutorial and
video guidance. If you have any queries about Cite Them
Right Harvard, please email library@[Link]
Academic Misconduct is action that could give you an unfair
advantage in coursework, exams, or any other assessed
work. This may include improper use of generative AI,
plagiarism, self-plagiarism, cheating, collusion, falsification of
ACADEMIC data, contract cheating, breaching Exam Regulations, or
MISCONDUCT non-compliance with ethics procedures.
If your work is submitted and it is discovered that you have
broken the regulations, the piece of work will be awarded
zero marks or will be significantly penalised. Your awarding
body will decide which penalty is appropriate. Please see
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Enterprise & Sustainability

further guidance on Academic Integrity and Academic

Misconduct Regulations.

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Enterprise & Sustainability

MARKING CRITERIA
This section includes the marking criteria for this assessment.

STEP MARKING: In line with University guidance, we use a restricted number of

marks within the range of 0-100%. Marks ending in 2, 5 and 8 represent the lower,
middle, and upper ranges of the standard classification bands. Please see the
marking criteria grid or rubric below.

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85-100% 70-84% 60-69% (Very 40-49% 0-29% (Very

Criteria (Outstanding) (Excellent) Good 50-59% (Good) Satisfactory) 30-39% (Poor)
Poor)
Demonstrates
Demonstrates
a good ability
Demonstrates a a satisfactory
Demonstrates to critically Demonstrates a
very good ability to Demonstrates
an outstanding analyse the limited ability to
Demonstrates ability to analyse the little to no
ability to organisational analyse the
an excellent critically organisational ability to
critically context, organisational
ability to analyse the context, analyse the
analyse the identify key context, identify
critically organisational identify key organisational
Critical Analysis organisational issues, and key issues, and
analyse the context, identify issues, and context,
of organisation context, offer sound offer weak
organisational key issues, and offer basic identify key
identify key critical critical analysis.
context, offer sound critical issues, and
issues, and analysis, The work is
identify key critical analysis. analysis, offers poor or
offer sound, though some largely
issues, and There are some though no critical
well- supported analysis may descriptive and
offer well- elements of analysis lacks analysis. Does
critical analysis. lack depth. does not
supported descriptive work depth and not take the
There is a Multiple parts consider the
critical where analysis rigor. context of the
mastery of of the analysis context of the
analysis. is lacking and There are large case study into
critical analysis are descriptive case study.
slightly off passages where consideration.
on display. and loosely
context. analysis is not
written to
critical and not
the context of
applied to the
the case study.
case study
context.
Outstanding Excellent Good Satisfactory
Very good
argument argument argument in argument in Structure does
argument in
throughout throughout most places places with Limited not match the
most places
Depth of with with strong with solid some coverage argument in assessment
with good
understanding comprehensive coverage of coverage of the of the key areas places with key brief in most
coverage of the
coverage of the the key areas key areas of of strategic sections missing. or all places.
key areas of
key areas of of strategic strategic analysis. Few or no links Key sections
strategic
strategic analysis. analysis. Links between between are missing.
analysis.
analysis. Good links Links sections are not sections.
Some links
Clear links between between always clear
between
between sections. sections are
sections.
sections. not always
clear

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Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates a Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates

an outstanding an excellent very good level a good level of some level of minimal level of little to no
level of level of of strategic and strategic and strategic strategic strategic
Application strategic and strategic and innovative innovative thinking when thinking when thinking when
of Theory and innovative innovative thinking when thinking when applying theory applying theory applying theory
Frameworks thinking when thinking when applying theory applying theory to changes in to changes in to changes in
applying theory applying theory to changes in to changes in contextual contextual contextual
to changes in to changes in contextual contextual practice. There practice. There practice. There
contextual contextual practice. There practice. There is is a is
practice. There practice. There is a strong is an attempt to weak attempt to little to no
is is display of display how the display how the attempt to
display how the

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a mastery of a very strong how the theory an adequate theory and/or theory and/or theory and/or
how the theory display of how and/or display of how framework is framework is framework is
and/or the theory framework is the theory applied in applied in applied in
framework is and/or applied in and/or practice, but practice, but practice, but
applied in framework is practice, but framework is with many with very many with errors
practice. applied in with some applied in errors and basic errors and weak and very weak
practice. errors practice, but application application application
throughout. with throughout. throughout. throughout.
multiple errors
throughout.
Very good
attempt to use A good attempt Uses a limited
Outstanding Excellent and
alternative to use number of Uses few Little to no
and clear clear ability to
approaches to alternative approaches to approaches to approaches to
ability to critically
business approaches to business business business
critically evaluate
problems and business problems and problems and problems and
evaluate alternative
communicates problems and communicates communicates communicates
Critical alternative approaches
to a very good communicates to a satisfactory to a poor to a very poor
Evaluation and approaches and
standard that to a good standard with standard with standard with
recommendations and communicate
demonstrates standard, but some critical little critical no critical
communicate critical thinking
critical thinking with less thinking but thinking. The thinking.
critical thinking with rigor,
and adaptation critical lacks depth. recommendatio There is no link
with rigor, structure, and
of each evaluation and There is some ns are not at all between
structure, and clarity. The
approach. rigor. There is link between linked with the the
clarity. The recommendatio
Recommendatio some link recommendatio critical recommendatio
recommendatio ns clearly
ns demonstrate between the ns and critical evaluation ns and critical
ns clearly arrive from the
a very good link recommendatio evaluation, but throughout the evaluations.
arrive from the critical
to ns and critical will many gaps. response.
critical evaluation.
the evaluation.
evaluation.
critical
evaluatio
n.
Adequate use Basic use of Poor use of Little to no use
Outstanding Excellent use Clear use of
of references, references, references, of references,
use of of references, references,
citations and citations and citations and citations and
references, citations and citations and
presentation. presentation. presentation. presentation.
citations and presentation. presentation.
References, Cite Them Cite Them Cite Them Right Cite Them
presentation. Cite Them Cite Them
citations Right Harvard Right Harvard Harvard is Right Harvard
Cite Them Right Harvard Right Harvard

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and is applied but is applied but poorly applied is very poorly

Right Harvard is correctly is applied in
presentation with consistent with constant with constant applied with
is correctly applied in most most parts with
errors errors errors constant errors
applied places. some errors.
throughout. throughout. throughout. The throughout.
throughout. The The
The The assessment assessment is The
The assessment is assessment is
assessment is is labelled and poorly labelled assessment
assessment is clearly labelled, formal
labelled, formal formal and lacks is poorly
clearly labelled, formal and
and but lacks formalness labelled and
labelled, formal and professional,
professional, professionalis lacks
and
m,

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professional professional with some with consistent with consistent and formalness,
in in minor errors errors professionalis logical flow
presentatio presentatio errors. throughout throughout that m and
n. n. that interrupt interrupt the throughout. professionalis
the flow of the flow of the Consistent m
document. document. errors throughout.
throughout that Consistent
interrupt the errors
flow of the throughout that
document. interrupt the
flow of the
document.

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RATIONALE FOR THE ASSESSMENT

This section explains how and why this assessment is important to assess your learningt, and how it links to the outcomes of your prog

Our expectations in this assessment are linked to the learning outcomes listed
below. We teach, practice, and assess these outcomes in the module. The
learning outcomes are linked to your overall programme.

PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES

MSc Management and Consultancy (incl with Internship version)

Part A – Knowledge and Critical Understanding
By the end of the programme students are expected to have knowledge and critical understanding
of:
1 How to systematically and rigorously analyse the competitive environment that organisations
operate within
2 Strategy formulation at organisation and business unit levels.
6 Fundamental strategic skills, tools and techniques that are key to successful management
MSc Management (incl with Internship version)

Part A – Knowledge and Critical Understanding

By the end of the programme students are expected to have knowledge and critical understanding
of:
1 How to systematically and rigorously evaluate the competitive environment that organisations
operate within
2 Strategy formulation at organisation and business unit level.
3 How to be an effective manager and leader within a competitive environment
6 Developing an interface between strategic positioning and the organisational value chain and
understanding their relationship to the logistics and supply chain functions
Part B – Skills and Attributes
The programme will ensure students will gain the following skills and attributes:
9 Be effective communicators using a range of media.
MSc
10 Management
Demonstrateand Sustainability
an awareness (incl
of ethical, with social
corporate Internship version)
responsibility and sustainability issues

Part A – Knowledge and Critical Understanding

By the end of the programme students are expected to have knowledge and critical understanding
of:
1 How to systematically and rigorously evaluate the competitive environment that organisations
operate within
2 Strategy formulation at organisation and business unit level.
3 How to be an effective manager and leader within a competitive environment
6 Developing an interface between strategic positioning and the organisational value chain and
understanding their relationship to the logistics and supply chain functions
Part B – Skills and Attributes
The programme will ensure students will gain the following skills and attributes:
9 Be effective communicators using a range of media.
10 Demonstrate an awareness of ethical, corporate social responsibility and sustainability issues
appropriate to the level of study and the discipline context.

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MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Identify and frame key corporate and global level strategic management
concepts.
2. Recognise and apply different strategic theories and practices in
organisations and evaluate the strategies of a range of enterprises.
3. Critically assess the effectiveness of approaches to strategic leadership
4. Assess the impact of globalisation on the operation and
development of multi- national enterprises.

ASSURANCE OF LEARNING (AoL)

Assurance of learning (AoL) refers to the systematic processes and assessment

plans that demonstrate that learners achieve learning competencies for the
programs in which they participate. AoL also includes the processes of
identifying competency gaps and designing and implementing changes to the
curriculum and learning experience so the learning competencies are met.

PRSB REǪUIREMENTS

Not applicable for this module

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ASSESSMENT SUPPORT
This section provides an overview of opportunities for both module-level and university level assessment support.

MODULE LEVEL SUPPORT

Assessment webinars with compulsory

ASSESSMENT CLINICS
attendance
ASSESSMENT 1-2-1 SUPPORT
Available via appointment with teaching
OPPORTUNITIES
team
The MMU library runs study skills sessions
OTHER ASSESSMENT on referencing and critical reading and writing
SUPPORT throughout the programme. Please see
details on Moodle.

UNIVERSITY-LEVEL SUPPORT
Includes details of study skills, library workshops and assessment support at university and department level. There is a lot of support

Undergraduate Assessment
Regulations Peer Assisted Learning
MMU Study
Skills Study
Skills Online
MMU Library
Disability
Service
Cite Them Right Harvard
Counselling, Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
Students’ Union Advice Centre
Student Hub
Moodle Student Resource Area
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ESSENTIAL AND RECOMMENDED READING

This includes a list of essential and recommended readings to support you in your assessment preparation.

Whittington, R., Regner, P., Anwin, D. Johnson, G. & Scholes,

TEXTBOOK K.
2020. Exploring strategy: text and cases (12th
edn). London: Pearson Education.
De Wit, B. and Meyer, R. 2014. Strategy Process, Content,
Context: An International Perspective (5th edn).
ESSENTIAL
Andover: Cengage.
READING
Ghemawat, P. 2017. Strategy and the Business
Landscape (4th edn), New York, NY: Pearson
Education.
RECOMMENDED
READING Please see reading list on Moodle.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Useful information not covered above.